Clamp



(N0 Model.)

, M. POTTER.

CLAMP.

No. 305,222. Patented sept. 16,1884..

l'Nrrien STATES PATENT OFFICE..

MORGAN POTTER, OF COLD SPRING, NE\V YORK.

CLAMP.

{l-"CIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,222, dat-ed September 16, 1884.

Application filed February 12, 1884.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORGAN POTTER, of Cold Spring, county of Putnam, and Stat-e of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Wheel Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, 'and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

rlhe object of my invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and effective clamp adapted for application to the spokes of a carriage or other wheel, and arranged to securely hold the parts of the wheel or the joints of the rim thereof preparatory to drafting, iacing, and

p' finishing the rim, (without the use of dowels,)

the clamp being convenient for application Vand use, not liable to get out of order, and affording a secure joint with ready means of ad just-ment, as may be required. To accomplish all of this my improvements involve certain novel and useful arrangements or combinations of parts, peculiarities of construction, and

` principles ot' operation, all of which will be herein iirst fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Heretofore in facing and finishing the rims of wheels at joints of rim the rim has ordinaril y been secured at the joints by dowels,which tend to weaken the rim, and which, in fact, do not affordat all times the desired rigidity of parts while thenishing is in progress, and, moreover, require much time i'or fitting and adjustment. These disadvantages are obviated by my improved device.

In the accompanying drawi ngs,for1ning part oi' this specification, Figure l is a plaiiview of a clamp constructed and arranged for operation in accordance with my invention and involving the principles thereof, the clamp being shown as applied upon the spokes of a wheel.` Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and Fig. 3 a wertical section in the direction of line x a? of Fig. l, these iigures being on a larer scale than Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line y y of Fig. 8, and Fig. 5, a similar section on line .e e. Fi 6 is an elevation of one of the j aws, detached.

ln all these figures like letters of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts.

A is the main body or shell of the clamp, upon which the working parts are mounted.

(No model.)

B is a seat for one ofthe jaws, G, the seat being arranged to travel back and forth upon a curved threaded rod, D, carrying the jaw C with it, and being connected with a curved guide, E, running through the shell A. Upon the opposite4 end of the shell is another jaw composed of two parts, F and G. the part G being arranged to advance toward and recede from part F, and having a threaded rod connected with it. A thumb-nut, c, upon rodD serves to tighten the clamp or to make the two jaws approach each other, and a thumbnut, I), upon the rod H serves to bring the two parts F and G into clamping relations with -each other, all of which will be readily understood. In order that the clamp may be readily applied to various sizes of wheels and lit and hold properly, both jaws are swiveled on their tent.

The jaw C is mounted upon a stud, c, connected withthe seat B, and it is held against vertical movement by a cross-pin, d, passing through a horizontal slot in the stud, the same being large enough to permit all the required movements in the horizontal direction. The opposite jawis provided with a depending shank, e, which enters a recess in tlie'seat for this jaw, and is held against vertical displacement by a crosspin, f, the projecting ends of which enter horizontal slots, as g, in the walls of the seat and permit all the required horizontal adjustments. The bearing-face of jaw C is curved substantially as shown, so that when brought against the curved surface of a spoke it will prevent the spoke from rising, and the bearing-face ot' F is similarly formed. To prevent the clamp from riding along or creeping on the spokes, thepart G is made movable in a groove, inwhich it is dovetailed, so that while the whole jaw may swivel, as required, one part thereof cannot move with respect to the other, except in one direction, thus rendering the clam ping action perfectlysecure.

projecting iiange, 7.-., and the opposite jaw is braced by a lip, l, riding under an overhang- .ing ledge, m, these features being intended to counteract any tendency to a tipping of either j aw when under strain.

I is a block of wood secured to the shell,

upon which the rim of the wheel is to rest The jaw C is braced in rear by an upwardly` seats and may revolve thereon to a limited ex- IOO when the clamp is in position, affording a level bed for the rim. Carriage-wheel rims are usually divided in two parts. rIwo of the improved clamps are intended to be applied, one upon the spokes on opposite side of one joint, and the other in a similar mannerin the region of the remainin g joint. As the rims are driven to shoulders of spokes the joints require sawing out, (called drafting by the orafa) of course the two joints open or close, and it is necessary to make them perfect. Facing and finishing may be proceeded with, the Wooden block affording astop for thc saw and bed for rim. This block may be removed and replaced, as required, being held to the shell of the clamp by removable screws, as 71,. The rim of the wheel projects slightlyT beyond the block and the clamp, so that the plane or other implement may be conveniently used. The clamp holds the two parts firmly and aecu rately in position, and is adjustable, so that as the joint is trued and rim drafted, the parts may be again forced into contact. The bearing-faces of the jaws may be notched to increase their grip upon the spokes. No dowels are required, and the rim is in no way weakcned or injured.

'The improved clamp may also be advantageously used for holding the rim together while the tire is being put on, particularly if the wheel is old and spokes loose in hub, less heat being required to adj ust the tire than is required without the clamp.

Other advantages are secured by use of the improved implement, notably in the regula tion of the dish of the wheel, by drafting out the rim and screwing up on thumb-nut, and the accuracy and dispatch. with which the rim may be faced and finished.

The improved device has been found in practice to admirably answer the purposes or objects ofthe invention, as previously set forth.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I I. In a carriage-wheel clamp, the curved scrcwrod and curved guide combined with two jaws arranged to clamp and hold the spokes of the wheel, the rod being provided with a suitable thumb-nut, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a carriage-\\f'heel clamp, the combination, with the curved body and the clampingjaws, of the removable wooden block, serving as a rest for the rim of the wheel, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a clamp of thc character herein set forth, the two jaws arranged to approach and recede from each other, both jaws being swiveled upon their seats and combined with a curved screw-rod andan adj ustable nut mounted thereon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

i. In a carriage-wheel clamp, the two jaws combined with the curved clamping-screw and guide, said jaws having their bearing-faces cur-ved and notched,substantially as described, so as to prevent the spokes from rising, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a clamp of the character herein ,set forth, the combination, with the screw-rod, of the two main clamping-jaws, one of said jaws being made movable with respect to the other, being composed of two parts, and provided with a screw and thumb-nut, substantially as set forth.

6. rlheherein-described clamp, composed of the curved shell, `guide, and threaded rod. the two swiveled jaws, the removable wooden block, and the thumb-nuts, all combined and arranged for operation, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

MORGAN POTTER.

lVitnesses:

Jas. M. CAMP,

in. mms M1 i'flpniz. 

